The Land of Mystery eBook

The words of all were uttered in the Murhapa tongue,
so that the listeners could form no idea of their
meaning. Had they been able to do so, it is
safe to say that they would have been in anything but
a comfortable frame of mind.

CHAPTER XXIII.

THE SHADOW OF DANGER.

A few minutes later, Ziffak came through the door
of the king’s residence and greeted the explorers.

His dusky countenance showed unmistakable traces of
emotion, but like a true warrior, he knew how to govern
his feelings. When he spoke, there was no agitation
perceptible in his voice.

He motioned to his friends to enter the adjoining
hut, where Bippo and Pedros had been left. The
Professor showing a natural timidity, he stepped forward
and led the way.

Immediately, the party found themselves within a structure,
which while no larger than the others, still, in view
of the royal prerogatives of the occupant perhaps,
possessed more conveniences. The lower apartment,
or rather floor, was separated into three divisions,
the front being that in which the cooking was done,
while serving also for a sitting and general reception
room.

The mother of Ziffak and King Haffgo was a tall, muscular
widow of threescore and ten, much wrinkled, but strong
and active on her feet. Her countenance was darker
if possible than that of the head chieftain, making
it the more wonderful that Haffgo should be the reverse
in that respect of both.

The royal mother paid little heed to her visitors,
probably believing they were able to take care of
themselves without help from her. Indeed, shortly
after the white men entered, she took her departure,
and was not seen again until dark, when she came in
to help provide them with their evening meal.

Bippo and Pedros finding themselves safe at last were
doing what they could to make up for the sleepless
nights and hard labor they had undergone on their
way thither. They were stretched upon some skins
in one corner, sleeping heavily and refreshingly.

Ziffak sat on the floor with the whites. It
was apparent from his manner that he was on the point
of making a communication of importance, but he seemed
to change his mind suddenly, and, for a time, spoke
upon matters of such trivial account that his listeners
were surprised.

The next astonishing thing which he did was to declare
that the stories he gave to Ashman the night before,
when made a prisoner by him were fables. There
was no enchanted lake in the neighborhood, and his
account of the burning mountain was a myth, as were
his yarns about the diamonds obtained from the same
mountain.

The Professor nodded his head, laughed and said he
was glad to be told that; for, while he wished to
believe their good friend, when he was in earnest,
he found it hard to swallow those marvellous narratives
which exceeded anything that had ever come to their
ears.